Escape From This Bleeding Dream
by BabyYoureMyOxygen
Summary: Clare is terrified of thunder storms. Her mother forgets her at school. It starts to rain. Eli finds her. What will pursue of the two young teeangers? Will this storm help the two teenagers put their on-going differences aside? One-Shot; Winner: Omgitscasey


**One-Shot**

**Winner:** **Omgitscasey**

**Clare and Eli are one of meh favorites to write about, simply because they have so much chemistry. **

**Read. Review.**

**O.o**

**Escape From This Bleeding Dream**

Clare Edwards stood, feet planted firmly on the sidewalk as she lifted her blue denim jacket above her head, attempting to keep the rain from getting her wet. Though, as a gush of wind blew by, water colliding with Clare's face. She shook her head quickly, attempting to get the small droplets of water from clinging to her auburn locks. Failing, she sighed, lowering the piece of denim to come around her arms once more. Her dainty fingers wrapped tightly around the strap of her bag, a desert feeling evading her thoughts.

"Edwards!"

Clare's head rose abruptly, ice blue irises searching through the mist around her. They rested upon a large black car, a single window rolled down, revealing a boy with chocolate hair and deep green eyes. A small smile pulled at the corners of her lips as Clare marched towards the car, fighting against the harsh winds.

"Thanks," Clare spoke softly, letting a small sigh escape her parted lips as she tugged on the handle of the hearse's door, letting it fall shut with a heavy _thud_.

Eli let a smirk adorn his lips as he shifted Morty to the first gear, allowing the hearse to pull forward. "Anytime, Clare-Bear."

Clare grimaced at the horrid nickname, though did not say a word as she clutched her school bag close to her side, eyes becoming cohere with the rain that pattered upon the glass window.

"Alright, Edwards," Eli said, voice husky, though dripping with concern, "why were you standing out in the pouring rain?"

Another sigh escaped Clare's lips, and small sound was emitted from her throat, though she said nothing. Eli removed a single hand from Morty's aging steering wheel, slender fingers plucking Clare's small ones from the strap of her bag. His green eyes remained cohere with the slippery asphalt, although he allowed his fingers to entwine with Clare's, his calloused thumb gently caressing the back of her hand. He could feel the small muscles in her arms begin to relax, and continued the simple motion as his left hand turned the wheel, causing Morty's tires to shift to the left.

"Come on, blue eyes, you can tell me," Eli pushed once more, knowing that Clare would crack if he continued to bother.

After a few moments of silence, Eli was beginning to doubt his own thoughts. His eyes shifted to the small girl that sat beside him, then returning to the road. His boot-clad foot lightly taped the breaks as a streetlight became red, the harsh color becoming a soft pink hue beneath the falling rain.

"My parents forgot."

The sudden sound caused Eli to jump lightly. He turned his head to find Clare resting her forehead upon the cool glass of Morty's right window, allowing the chilled atmosphere to relax her tense muscles.

"What?" Eli asked, raising a dark eyebrow.

Clare shoulders rose in the solemn notion of a shrug, though her eyes did not meet Eli's.

"My mom was supposed to pick me up at three," Clare said, voice barely audible.

Quickly, Eli's eyes shifted to the clock. Green numbers flashed back at him, reading 3:57. He had picked up Clare's barely five minutes previous to the current time.

"And she forgot," Eli guessed, though his words were spoken as more of a statement than that of a question.

Clare's head moved in the notion of a nod, though she did not speak. Eli was tempted to grasp her chin lightly to turn his face towards him, though the streetlight had become green, and he was forced to turn away and urge Morty forward. He knew that Clare was not crying, though the fact that she was feeling remorse and abandoned made Eli's heart clench.

Though they were not on the 'relationship' status, Eli still cared for the small girl that sat beside him, though, after he had told her about Julia, he feared that she would one day become hurt as well, and was far too much of a… coward.

Eli shook his head, chocolate hair moving in sync with the fluid motions. The silence in the atmosphere tugged at Eli's thoughts, though he ignored the battling inner demons and released his hand from Morty's aged steering wheel to press a button on his CD player. Sweet music emanated from Morty's speakers, spilling through Eli's skin and traveling the length of his veins. Eli let a sigh escape his lips, lungs soon filling with the oxygen he hadn't been aware of holding moments before.

Clare cringed from the sudden increase in noise, harshly placing her hands over her ears.

"Eli!" she shrieked.

The boy next to her let a smirk stretch over his pink lips.

"Yes, Clare-Bear?" he asked sweetly, though his voice was risen due to the increased volume of the music.

Clare made a notion to turn the sound down, though Eli's hand captured her own, entwining their fingers between the two.

"What is this?" Clare demanded.

Her ears began to numb from the audible noise, though Clare couldn't concentrate. Heat pooled into her cheeks as her heart began to beat rapidly, blue irises falling upon her and Eli's intertwined hands.

"Ambrosia, by Alesana," Eli answered, head moving lightly to the beat of the song.

Clare sat back in her seat, a pout brought to her lips, knowing that Eli would not lower the intense volume level of the music. Her eyes fell upon the windshield once more, the translucent glass fogging from the cool rain hitting the heated glass. Eli did not let the smirk fall from his lips, though, in a spontaneous moment, he grasped Clare's hand more tightly in his own, raising it to his lips, leaving a single light kiss upon her knuckles. The pink stain in Clare's cheeks intensified, though she let a small smile pull at the corner of her lips. Eyes falling on the green sign that indicated her street were near, Clare's smile fell.

Eli felt the muscle's in Clare's hand tense, and he furrowed his eyebrows. Seeing Clare's house, Eli turned Morty's wheel to the left, causing the hearse to shift in a different direction. Clare knitted her eyebrows together in confusion, watching as her house fell into the distance, becoming blended by the handfuls of rain that continued to fall from the sky.

"Eli, what are you doing?" she asked, letting a sigh of relief escape her chest as she felt the song come to an end.

He chuckled, voice husky, "We're going on an urban adventure."

"Where?" Clare demanded lightly.

Before he could answer, a bolt of lightning lit up the darkened sky. A loud crack of thunder followed close after, shaking the earth. Clare's dainty immediately tightened around Eli's, breathe becoming caught in her throat.

"Is Clare scared of a little thunder storm?"

Clare immediately jumped at Eli's words, not expecting the noise to evade her thoughts. She immediately missed the harsh songs that emanated from Morty's speakers as the deafening silence began to close in on her. Clare became frightened that another clap of thunder would come, shaking everything in it's being.

When Clare didn't respond, Eli gazed at her from the corner of his eyes, blood filling with worry, though amusement, all in the same way. Eli heard Clare emit a tense sigh as he turned Morty's wheel once more the left, the hearse rolling into his own gravel driveway.

"Your house is our urban adventure?" Clare asked, a small smile spread about her lips.

Eli chuckled lightly, though before he could respond, another clap of thunder racked through the heavens. Clare's blue eyes widened a moment, the breath that came out from her soft, rose-colored lips shallow. Eli felt his dark eyebrows knit together in confusion, before he stepped from the car, attempting to shield his body with his arm. In a fatal attempt, Eli jogged quickly to Clare's side, tugging harshly on Morty's silver handle. The door came open with a _creek_, and Clare flopped her hood onto her head, covering her auburn curls from the harsh rain.

Eli grasped her hand tightly in his own, before slamming the heavy car door closed, and making way towards his front door. Though it was merely ten feet from where Morty was parked, the chilling rain had already made through Eli and Clare's thin clothing. Clare's hood fell from her curls as they bounded up the steps made of crumbling brick, the color darkening in the wet atmosphere. Eli dove into the front pocket of his jeans for his keys, to no avail. Dropping Clare's hand with a frown, Eli felt around in his other pocket, the chaffing denim. Frown deepening, Eli swung his head around, eyes searching Morty's exterior. Eyebrows rose in understanding, Eli left a giggling Clare upon the top step as he bounded quickly towards his hearse, pulling open the door, and grasping the keychain, still resting in Morty's ignition.

Eli could now feel small water droplets travel the length of his skin, and as he bolted for the door once more, the dark clothing clung hastily to his skin, thriving from the chilling feeling that erupted the length of Eli's spine. He grasped Clare's fingers in his own once more as the shining silver key was placed into the deadbolt, and the door flung open. Eli pulled Clare through the door before he slammed it shut, the harsh rains and erupting thunder left waiting on the other side.

"That… was… amazing," Clare spoke, words interrupted by small fits of laughter as she placed her hands upon her knees.

Eli shook his head, falling to the floor. "Never… again…."

Clare placed her back against the door, the slick clothing not able to grasp the wood, causing her to fall beside Eli. Blue irises met green in a moment of passionate silence. Clare counted iced moments in her head.

_One…_

Clare's breathe became caught in her throat, lips ajar.

_Two…_

Eli's lips quivered, his eyes losing sight of Clare's for a moment, finding instead her lips.

_Three…_

Clare's heartbeat intensified as adrenaline met blood.

_Four…_

Cautiously, Eli tilted his head forward, until his forehead rested upon Clare's. Their wet hair became one, auburn and chocolate locks sticking.

_Five…_

Clare could feel Eli's warm breathe on her lips, taste the sweet cinnamon on his tongue.

A clap of thunder sounded.

Eli pulled back from Clare abruptly, watching as the fear in her eyes intensified. His own green irises found the ceiling lamp, watching as the light flickered ominously, though the room remained alight after a few moments. His eyes landed back upon Clare, whom had proceeded to wrap her arms around her legs.

"Come on, Blue Eyes," Eli spoke softly, "let's get you into some warm clothes."

Clare nodded lightly, auburn curls falling into her eyes. Eli lifted a graceful hand, gently swiping the wet hair behind her ear. The pale coloration in her face created a frown upon his lips. Eli grasped both of Clare's hands in his own, pulling until she was aligned with him, feet cohere with the floor once more. Letting a single hand drop to her side, Eli used the other to gently tug Clare up the stairs, watching as she placed her remaining hand atop the mahogany banister, as if she would fall at any moment. Eli felt his head move back and forth, knowing that he would never let such a thing happen to her.

Feeling upon the wall, Eli's hand switched on the hall light, closing his eyes momentarily as white light illuminated their surroundings. Clare's felt her muscles relax a fraction as her feet quickly followed in step with Eli's until he stopped in front of a door, a skull-and-cross-bone sign placed in the middle. A smile touched her lips as she realized that, of course, this would be Eli's room. Quickly, he pushed open the door, welcoming Clare into his dark, though clean (1) room. Clare's eyes scrutinized her surroundings as Eli let her hand fall, traveling to his dresser to find something more comfortable to dress in until their clothes became dry.

Blue eyes traveled the length of the room, landing upon a dark mahogany wooden floor, a single black and white checkered rug placed next to the bed. Red bed spread adorned the mattress, made up for the next night of comforting sleep. Clare moved her head to the right, eyes finding Eli once more. She giggled lightly as his face became scrunched, in attempt to find something that Clare would fit into.

"Something funny, Blue Eyes?"

Clare smile widened. "Just your face."

"Ouch!" Eli hyperbolized, placing a hand directly above his heart. "That hurts, woman!"

"It's supposed to," Clare giggled, gently placing one foot in front of the other until she was leaning against the dresser.

Eli shook his head, grasping a black shirt from the door. Placing it in to her hands, followed by a pair of white pajama pants, adorned with AC/DC's slogan.

"Bathroom's one door on the right," he notioned with his head.

Clare nodded, and Eli watched as she made way out of the bedroom. Quickly, he stripped from his own wet clothing, throwing them lightly into the hamper across the room, and sliding into another Dead Hand T-shirt and, instead, his grey skinny jeans. By the time he had finished dressing and had sat atop his bed, a soft knock from the door was heard.

"Who is it?" Eli called, grabbing the remote from his bedside table, the dark wood illuminated by the overhead light.

"The Easter Bunny!" Clare answered, Eli noting the small giggle in her voice. "Is it safe?"

A smirk tugged at the corner of Eli's lips. "You know we always consider safe sex!"

The doorknob turned and Clare stepped inside the room once more, a pink tint heating her cheeks in embarrassment.

"Not what I mean," she spoke softly, though a smile was still placed in her features.

Eli chuckled, patting the spot on his bed next to where he sat. Clare shook her head at the boy before making way across the room and sitting down.

"I put my wet clothes in the bathtub to dry," she said, though her tone was more questioning then speaking.

"That's fine," Eli answered, placing a soft kiss on her cheek.

He stopped abruptly, breath caught in his throat. He knew that he was bold, though didn't even expect that move out of himself. Clare lifted a hand to gently place her drying locks behind her ear, laying back against one of Eli's many pillows.

"Movie?" he asked suddenly, attempting to cut the tension with a knife.

Clare nodded, though did not speak. Her eyes found Eli's window, watching as a jolt of lightening flashed across the sky, illuminating the small room with white light. Knowing that she could not take much more of a scare at the moment, Eli picked a movie from beneath his old tube television, placing it into the DVD player. When he resumed his position on the bed, Clare emitted a sigh.

"You alright, Clare?"

Clare's eyes found Eli's once more. "It's just… I've been frightened of storms since I was little…," she trailed off, words becoming lost in the buzzing of the television.

Eli placed a hand around the small girl's waist, pulling her to his side. "Don't worry," he said, a smirk adorning his features, "I'll chase all the demons away."

Another crack of thunder sounded, causing Clare to jump lightly. Eli's grip tightened upon her waist as she placed her head in the crook of his neck, breathing shallow. After counting to five, her gaze followed Eli's, resting upon the small television screen. _Transformers _was displayed across the top of the screen, the orchestral music filling Clare's awaiting ears as Eli's grasped the remote with his free hand, increasing the volume.

As the movie began to play, Clare had felt herself sink more into Eli's side, aware of the hefty storm that rushed around the house. She could hear the wind scream through the window, hear the harsh pattering of rain on the roof. Each time a crack of thunder sounded, Clare felt herself jump, body unwilling to stay put, adrenaline pushing through her veins. Attempting to distract her cluttered thoughts, Clare's eyes found the television screen, watching intently as the rubber wheel of Sam's mother's bike hit the curb, sending him flying through the air, and landing at Michaela's feet upon his back.

Though, as Clare opened her lips to tell Eli that it looking like something that would resemble his "style", the coloring on the television began to flicker. Clare's small fingers tightened their grip around Eli's waist; if her nails were uncomfortably digging into his skin, he did not utter a word of it. Instead, Eli's own grip tightened as he began to rub soothing circles into Clare's side.

"Clare, it's alright," Eli soothed, warm lips touching her ear.

As soon as the words had left his lips, the television screen became black, the lights illuminating Eli's room not following long after. Clare felt her eyes widen as her breath began to shallow, ears pricked intensely for the next clap of thunder. It felt as if she and Eli were playing a game of hide and seek, and the storm that barred outside the window was the predator, waiting for her to make any sort of movement, so it could swipe her up into his hustling winds.

"Clare," Eli soothed.

His fingers lightly grazed the apple of her right cheek, before lingering upon her skin, brushing an auburn curl behind her ear. As another clap of thunder sounded, Clare felt a shudder travel the length of her spine, turning her face until her nose rested lightly on Eli's cheek. She felt Eli's chin shift a fraction of an inch, until their noses lightly collided. He could feel her soft breath on his lips, taste the spearmint on his tongue.

Suddenly, Clare pulled back, leaving Eli in a sense of longing. He raised a dark eyebrow as Clare removed herself from his warm grip, slipping to the other side of the full bed.

"Eli-," she spoke softly, blue irises finding the wooden floor instead of the comforting green irises she longed to look in to.

"Clare," he cut her off, placing his fingers beneath her chin. With a light flick of his wrist, he gently pulled her face to look at his. "What's the matter? At first you complained about me giving you mixed signals, and now you're the one pulling away? he demanded, voice light, though his eyes seemed to harden.

"I can't," Clare said lightly, moving her chin from Eli's warm fingers so she could step off the bed and onto the cool floor.

"Can't what?" Eli asked, mimicking her movements until he was standing in front of her, grasping her small hands in his.

"Push you. You'll leave." Clare looked at the chipping blue polish on her toes, unable to speak any more words then she already had. Suddenly, the hollow feeling in her heart ached far more than the shudder left by the thunder storm.

"What?" Eli asked, the pain showing clear in his emerald irises.

Clare let a harsh sigh escape her lips, the tears threatening to spill from her eyes. Though, she kept the crystal water from falling down her cheeks, pulling her hands from Eli's grasp.

"I'm a mess, Eli," she spoke softly, eyes finding the door instead of his own. "If I keep pushing you into a relationship, you won't want me anymore. You'll be another K.C.."

"What are you talking about?" Eli demanded softly, pulling Clare's chin once more to find his eyes.

"Every… every time I get… close to someone…," Clare sighed, fingers lightly running through her locks, "…the person ends up… leaving, or… cheating-,"

Suddenly, she felt Eli's pointer finger lightly press onto her lips, preventing Clare from breathing another word.

"I'm not K.C.," he promised, words soft spoken.

"How can you promise something like that?" Clare asked abruptly.

Eli made a quick grab for her small hands, which rested next to each of her hips, though Clare reacted quickly, taking a step backwards. The cool wood soaked through her soft skin, staining her blood black. Clare had awaited near months for Eli to admit that he felt more than friendship for her. She was in love with the harsh spoken, dark clothed, deranged boy that stood before her.

And it scared her deeply.

She feared she would push another away. She couldn't bear to lose Eli as she had lost her parents, lost Darcy, lost K.C., and had even lost Ali. So, she did the only thing that she could think to do: Clare turned on her heel, and ran.

"Clare!"

Eli's words echoed around the house, breath following Clare as she tripped down the wooden staircase. Breathing heavy, chest heaving, Clare made way towards the door, only hindering her feet a moment to twist the silver knob. Once the door had flown open, harshly bouncing against the wall, Clare's small feet made contact with the wet stone of Eli's steps, and continued out into the pouring rain.

Eli followed quickly after. His head pounded; the stitches that had been temporarily sewn into his heart began to unravel; the demons that had haunted his dreams for nearly a year once more traveled through his blood. In Clare's haste, she had forgotten to close the front door, allowing the tile to glisten with water. Mind blank and emotions wild, Eli quickly jolted out the door, finding the small girl stopping in the middle of the concrete walkway, hands placed on her knees in attempt to catch her shallow breath. Though he had only been outside a few moments, Eli's fresh change of clothes clung heavily to his skin.

"Clare, stop!" he uttered, attempting to shout over the deafening rain that fell around them.

His heart clenched as Care's eyes became red, salty tears mixing with the fresh water from the skies. She turned to speed on down the concrete walkway, bare feet slapping the pavement. Though, Eli wouldn't allow, this, and before she could make more so then another step away from his, he quickly grasped ahold of her hand. In one swift movement, Eli had tugged on her arm lightly, and she fell into his chest. Her muscles tensed as she begged to fight against him, though her resistance fell.

Eli couldn't think.

Clare could breathe.

In a swift, toe-curling moment, Eli pressed his lips to Clare's.

Immediately, he felt each muscle relax in her body as his eyes fell shut, their lips moving in soft synchronization. It was a sweet kiss, tugging at the heart of each of the teenagers, all hormones pushed aside for this single moment. Clare felt a sigh escape her lips as the parted, Eli's own pushing between them. Confidentially, she placed her arms around his neck, fingers tangling in his soaked dark locks.

Though, the soft kiss soon became more as Eli's feet pushed Clare backwards, her back coming in contact with the dark brick wall of his house. Eli's hand traveled the length of Clare's waist, before coming to rest on her hip, grazing the bare, wet skin. The other moved to her face, pulling the small girl as close as he possibly could. A gasp escaped her lips, and Eli took this opportunity to his advantage, quickly slipping his tongue through her lips. Teeth clinked and tongues battled, not for dominance, or for hunger, though for passion. No room was left between the two heated bodies, rain colliding with the skin of their faces, necks, arms.

Clare pulled back, Eli willing her to breath. He could feel the deficient breath upon his lips, and it took near all of him to not lean in to graze his lips against hers once more. Silently, he raised both hands to Clare's face, his calloused fingers brushing the water away.

"I am not anything like K.C., and I would never do that to you," Eli said softly.

Lightening illuminated the sky once more, though instead of frightening Clare, it seemingly comforted her, the dark sky resembling that of Eli's eyes.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly, though her eyes never left his.

Eli chuckled lightly. "No need to keep apologizing, Clare-Bear. I know you love me."

Clare's tongue slipped through her lips in a childish manor, though Eli's laughter only deepened.

"Must you be so smug?" she asked, a small smile spread about her lips.

Eli's hand left her shoulder a moment to be placed over his heart. "Absolutely!"

Clare shook her head as she once more proceeded to lock her fingers behind Eli's neck, pulling his face closer to his once more. As his lips embraced her own, Clare smiled softly, feeling Eli's own lips pull back into a smirk.

**O.o**

**Good?**

**Bad?**

**Input please.**

**Unicorns will beh awaiting your review(:**

**::Tonks::**


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